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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED a) That the decision of Cabinet at the meeting of 13 January 2023 be amended. b) That the invitation of a tender be approved. c) That the award of any tender be allowed to take place following an additional report being presented to Cabinet for further consideration, to include a full project update, forward plan and associated costings and funding plan.
There were no declarations of interest.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED a) That the decision of Cabinet at the meeting of 13 January 2023 be amended. b) That the invitation of a tender be approved. c) That the award of any tender be allowed to take place following an additional report being presented to Cabinet for further consideration, to include a full project update, forward plan and associated costings and funding plan.
Cabinet considered a report by the Director of Community Services which outlined the recommendation of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee following a meeting of the Committee held on 23 January 2023, to consider Cabinet’s decision in relation to the Stage 2 Construction of Haverfordwest Public Transport Interchange. Councillor Rhys Sinnett, the Cabinet Member with responsibility for Residents’ Services, introduced the report and welcomed the involvement of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He highlighted that such involvement allowed the Council to improve the information that was available for both Members and members of the Public. Councillor Sinnett then apologised for not providing a full explanation of the history and funding profile of the Public Transport Interchange project at the Cabinet Meeting on 13 January. Councillor Sinnett then stated thathe wished for a report to go to Cabinet with a fuller assessment of the project costs and the funding streams attached to it. In regards to the initial figure of £8 million that was outlined on the Council’s website in September 2021, the Chief Executive stated that this cost had been estimated prior to the inclusion of the design work and surveyor costs. He highlighted that the bid submission presented to Cabinet in February 2022 was £17.6 million, which accounted for the full production and cost of the design. The Chief Executive apologised and stated that the information on the website and subsequent press statement should have been updated following further grants and final costings. He stated that in the future, business cases and plans for similar projects needed to be explained fully to Cabinet when the full deigns and costings were available. He also stated that at the next meeting of Cabinet in February, a recommendation for a Corporate Programme Board would be suggested, to oversee all major Capital Projects. Councillor Paul Miller also welcomed the involvement of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee. He stated at the Extraordinary Meeting that Plan A for the project would be to secure funding from the Welsh Government, but also highlighted that Plan B would be to utilise car park income to support the Capital Project. The Director of Resources confirmed that any surplus income generated from car parking could be earmarked for current or future use of car parking related expenditure. The Director of Community Services then gave some background and context of the project. He highlighted that the interchange project was part of a bigger plan to revamp the vibrancy and vitality of Haverfordwest Town Centre. He stated that improving accessibility, links with the town centre and the Council’s climate change agenda, were important themes in terms of supporting the transport interchange development. Councillor Jon Harvey stated that the transport interchange development was a crucial element of the Regeneration plan for Haverfordwest and would ultimately stimulate commercial investment into struggling town centres. He highlighted the need for increased awareness in regards to how the project was funded going forward. The Head of Infrastructure highlighted the importance of the link between the interchange and sustainable transport. He emphasised that the interchange development would encourage public transport and ensure that users had high quality infrastructure in place. The Chief Executive highlighted that a further report would go to Cabinet in the future to provide an update regarding the full plans and costings of the project. Councillors Alec Cormack and Rhys Sinnett stated their support for Cabinet reviewing the project at a future meeting. Councillor Sinnett then thanked the Officers for their hard work. Councillor Rhys Sinnett then Moved the following Motion; a) That the decision of Cabinet at the meeting of 13 January 2023 be amended. b) That the invitation of a tender be approved. c) That the award of any tender be allowed to take place following an additional report being presented to Cabinet for further consideration, to include a full project update, forward plan and associated costings and funding plan. Councillor Miller highlighted that this proposal demonstrated that the concerns of the Services Overview and Scrutiny Committee had been taken on board. He stated that prior to the award of a tender for this project, the tender would be subject to a further report to Cabinet, which would provide an opportunity for an explanation of the various funding mechanisms, in order to allow Members to retain oversight over this project. The Motion was Seconded by Councillor Paul Miller. The vote, undertaken by way of a roll call, was carried. The votes were recorded as follows: For the Motion: Councillors David Simpson, Paul Miller, Michelle Bateman, Alec Cormack, Jon Harvey and Rhys Sinnett [6] There were no votes against or abstentions. RESOLVED a) That the decision of Cabinet at the meeting of 13 January 2023 be amended. b) That the invitation of a tender be approved. c) That the award of any tender be allowed to take place following an additional report being presented to Cabinet for further consideration, to include a full project update, forward plan and associated costings and funding plan.
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